037
by Ina-chan
Summary: Someone is trying to open a proverbial Pandora's Box. Can the Quests stop a national security risk? Will they stop it? Even if it means sacrificing one of their own?
1. File 00

Disclaimer: Jonny Quest and all its characters are the creation of Doug Wildey and the properties of Hanna-Barbera. Everything else in this fanfic are figments of my imagination. Any similarities to name, places, yada yada yada are simply examples of the world's many coincidental mysteries  
  
December 20, 2003  
  
Inasanity Productions proudly presents:  
  
A (disturbingly) new Jonny Quest fanfic...  
  
*****  
  
He strode through the corridors in long hurried strides, managing to squeeze through the crowded elevator before the doors closed. For as long as he can remember... even as a child... he disliked places like this. The seemingly endless pristine hallways. The sterile smell of antiseptic. The continious traffic of people and objects hurrying to get to the places where they were supposed to be. The cafeteria that served slightly flavoured cardboard they pass as food and the bright lighting that hurt one's eyes.   
  
"Ah! You're Dr. Quest, aren't you?"   
  
Benton Quest looked up and saw a young man, probably a resident, looking at him excitedly. He forced a polite smile on his lips and nodded slightly, making an inward sigh as his elevator companion automatically took it as permission for him to launch into a series of gushing. Thankfully, the other occupants of the lift didn't join in with the young man's enthusiastic one-sided conversation. The polite smile was painfully frozen on his lips as his mind instinctively wandered elsewhere. If the younger man took any notice, he made no indication of it... still continuing to prattle on and on about... whatever he was talking about.  
  
But of all the things that Benton disliked the most in these kinds of places was was "this".  
  
How "they" acted. "They" being "The staff". They would give you sympathetic smiles, trying to earn your trust in the premise that they were trying to help you. They were your "friends" whom you can trust. People whom you learn to have great affection or love for... But the truth of the matter is... the smiles were practiced, the friendship was an act. Affection was a weapon. Earning your trust was part of their job. They need to do everything they could to get what they need from you.  
  
'STOP IT'. The man closed his eyes and scolded himself inwardly.   
  
"That was another time and another place," Benton whispered, as if hearing it aloud would chase the paranoid ideas starting to crowd his thoughts.   
  
"What was that Dr. Quest?"  
  
His eyes shot open, suddenly being pulled back to reality, his mind racing for an excuse. As if the Goddesses of Fate were answering a subconscious prayer, the elevator doors chimed and slid open, "Ah, this is my floor. It was pleasant talking to you..." His voice trailed upon realizing that he didn't catch the younger man's name.  
  
There was a note of disappointment in the younger man's eyes, but the notion and pleasure of spending two minutes in the elevator with the famous "Dr. Quest" seemed to have outweighed it. Or the fact that the good doctor seemed to have been distracted and had completely forgotten his name... it all went unnoticed. Dr. Quest made an audible sigh of relief as soon as the elevator door closed, once again leaving him alone to continue his journey in the building's corridors.  
  
He disliked this place... he hated this place. There was only one room in this building that he wanted to be. He silently berated himself once again, for allowing himself to be convinced to take a one hour "time out" to relax. Sure... relax. All he did the past hour was sit uncomfortably in a corner in the cafeteria, desperately trying to blend in the walls as he checked his watch every two minutes or so while absently stirring his undrunk coffee while unwelcome paranoid thoughts visited him in between. How's that for a "relaxing" time out?  
  
Though they were not as forward as that young resident, he could feel their eyes on him. The staff who passed him in the halls, that is. He felt their amazed glances as they realized who just passed them. It was not an unfamiliar sensation. Ever since he was a child, the staff kept constant watch on him. That was because he was "special". If you think about it... "they" still continued to watch him as an adult. Distracting... That's why he always enjoyed working alone... or directly in the field with as few people around him as possible.Nonetheles... All his life, he simply learned to cope with their actions. Ignore them. Ignore it.  
  
Until the past few weeks that is...  
  
A group of young women... probably nursing students... paused to give him a polite nod. He forced, yet another smile on his lips, in greeting. Their soft giggles and whispers didn't escape him, as they turned to each other, when they believed that they were already outside of hearing distance. Even though it was another place and another time... they were the same. It was the same. "The staff" with their smiles and their questions and their tests...The hushed and almost cryptic whispers between them when they talked before "outsiders".   
  
"Contrary to what it seems, not everyone around you is part of a big conspiracy theory," As if reading his thoughts, familiar gravely voice suddenly spoke, "And just to let you know, Doc... in case it didn't get through that thick head of yours... I think those girls actually like you."  
  
Benton turned to the direction of the voice instinctively, his blue eyes automatically softening as he realized who it was.   
  
"I sent Hadji down to the cafeteria to fetch some coffee. I was somewhat hoping that Hadji would find you first and keep you there for a few more minutes."  
  
A sudden wave of alarm shot through the scientist, as the other man's words registered in his head, "Race, what is it?"  
  
"Nothing, I just wanted to catch you first, before you go back in," Race replied casually  
  
Dr. Quest frowned, alarm now turning to full-blown anxiety,"Race..."  
  
"He's awake."  
  
The doctor stared at the other man blankly for a few moments, his overwhelmed mind slowly digesting the first piece of good news of the day. He closed his eyes and made a long sigh of relief, rubbing the bridge of his nose, as the tears pooling in his eyes threatened to spill over. He took another deep breath, trying to regain a semblance of his composure, before daring to speak, "Was Dr. Bryers called?"  
  
"Yes," Race replied, making an involuntary glance to the door behind him, "She just finished her assessment five minutes ago."  
  
"She already finished her assessment?" Dr. Quest frowned again, "When exactly did he wake up?"  
  
"Around five minutes after you left," Race stated a-matter-of-factly  
  
"What? Why wasn't I called right away?"   
  
"Because, you took a much deserved break after your 20-hour vigil."  
  
"Race, there's no need to protect me. Your first priority is my son."  
  
"Jonny IS my first priority," Race intoned firmly, " That's why I didn't page you."   
  
"What?"  
  
"Dr. Quest..." Race sighed in an almost defeated manner, obviously hesitating to continue, "Benton... Jonny needs you. But he also needed to be seen by a physician ASAP. Unfortunately, he can't see both at the same time... and at your current state..."  
  
"I'd only be in the way," Benton blandly finished the other man's sentence without any hesitation   
  
Race rubbed the back of his neck and made another sigh, "Look... the kid has gone through enough as it is. The last thing he needs is to bear witness to the carnage your mother hen instincts leaves behind."  
  
Dr. Quest bit back the words trying to push its way through from the tip of his tongue, pushing himself to concentrate on the more impending matters at hand instead, "How is he?"  
  
The silver-haired man's expression darkened, "Look... Dr. Bryers was hesitant to give me her opinion. And she's right... it's still too early. I think it would be best to wait it out, until whatever it is they pumped in his system clears... before you make your own conclusions as well."  
  
"Race..."  
  
"Jonny is still disoriented. God knows, he's probably still hallucinating... so just... just take it slow."  
  
The scientist nodded as he made his way towards his son's room. He looked back in surprise when he suddenly felt the other man's hand rest on his shoulder. Race averted his eyes, but Dr. Quest could see the other man's true emotions underneath the stoic mask, "What is it, Race?"  
  
"I just want to tell you right now..." Race began, "I'll try to do everything I can. Like I said earlier, we won't know for sure until his system's completely cleared... but they're impatient to find out. And depending on what they find... if it turns out that the demons are out of the box... I'm sorry..."  
  
An unreadable expression passed over the scientist's features, causing the other man to look away, as if Race were afraid to meet his eyes. If it turns out that their proverbial Pandora's box had been opened... He didn't want to think about it. But all this time, he knew that he was only delaying the inevitable. He can only pray that this was not that inevitable moment... not yet... Please God, not yet.   
  
"It's not your fault," Benton simply said in a soft voice.   
  
The other man looked up at him with an almost pained expression, but said nothing. With that, the he pushed the door open and stepped inside. He didn't mean to make his reply sound so cold. He knew that Race has grown to love the boy as if Jonny was his own son. But... Despite that affection... the love... the smiles, the friendship, and the trust... "The Staff" still needed to do their job. So... whatever happens after this... It really wan't Race's fault at all.  
  
The room's lights were dimmed, and save for the sound of the monitor, it was almost reverently silent. The lump sitting up in the middle of the bed didn't stir or even make any indication of acknowledging his arrival. Benton frowned as his anxiety level started to overwhelm whatever sense of relief he felt since hearing that his son was finally awake. The man sat on the edge of the hospital bed... yet still, the boy didn't move.  
  
"Jonny?" Benton whispered as he gently reached out to brush the stray stands of hair covering the boy's eyes  
  
As if reacting in slow motion, the boy finally turned to face the older man. Benton couldn't hold back a sharp intake of breath as he met an unfamilliar pair of blue orbs. The boy made no hint of recognition at all. Benton remembered that glassy consistency in his son's eyes... and that blank expression on his face. Almost seven years had passed since the last time he saw the boy like this. It was also then and there, he swore that he would do everything in his power to prevent his son from returning to that state. Tears threatened to fog his vision once again, at the sudden realization of his failure.  
  
"Hey there," Benton whispered with a forced grin, "How are you feeling?"  
  
Jonny didn't reply. He simply stared at the older man with blank unblinking eyes. Then slowly, one arm rose and reached out hesitantly to gingerly touch the older man's face. Benton simply watched as he felt his son's fingers explore the hairs and contours of his face like a child. Then to his surprise, silent tears pooled in his son's eyes, as recognition finally started to reflect in the boy's face. Then silent tears started to trail down his son's pale cheeks.  
  
"What's wrong?" Benton asked as he instinctively reached out to wipe the boy's tears, "Do you feel pain anywhere?"  
  
The boy slowly shook his head.  
  
"Then what's wrong?"   
  
"You're... real," The boy's soft voice cracked, "I can't believe that you're real..."  
  
"Of course, I'm real," Benton hushed soothingly, as he ran his fingers through his son's hair soothingly,"And everything will be okay now."  
  
"But..." Jonny protested, as if still unconvinced, "But it's impossible... you can't be real."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because... you died."   
  
Benton stared at his son in shock for a moment. He remembered this scene... it was a scene that happened almost every night since "that" happened seven years ago. How he used to wake up with a start in the middle of the night to the sound of a little boy's terrified screams. So he did exactly what he did in reaction to his son's terrors, seven years ago. He engulfed and rocked the distraught boy in his arms. The boy yeilded like a limp rag doll, "It's just a dream. A very bad dream. I'm fine, and you're safe."  
  
"But you died..." Jonny whispered insistently, "You died... she killed you... and you died..."  
  
She?   
  
Benton immediately felt his blood run cold. From the corner of his eye, he could see Race standing tensely by the open crack of the door. The scientist instinctively tightened his protective embrace around the boy, his thoughts racing and his heart pounding loudly in his chest. He gasped sharply, a little surprised to realize that he's been holding his breath, before finding his voice to speak, "Jonny... who's 'she'?"  
  
The scientist closed his eyes, as he felt his son's warm breath whisper the answer to his question. And all at once he realized what was going on. It's begun... the inevitable that they've been trying to avoid all these years. He still doesn't know why, but he knows for sure that she's trying to release the demons from the proverbial Pandora's box...   
  
She...  
  
"Mommy."  
  
  
  
  
  
Inasanity Productions has just proudly presented:  
  
"037"  
  
File 00  
  
by Ina-chan  
  
  
  
Author's Squawk:  
  
GAH! After how many years... I finally finished writing a JQ fanfic chapter. ^_^. Scary, ain't it? Are you confused already?   
  
This fic is 3 years in the planning and is loosely inspired by past conspiracy theory conversations between Meach and Daria. I meant to post this earlier for your Birthday, Meach... but the muses were not cooperative in making me finish on time. This prologue has been sitting in my computer for months. Hopefully, the muses will be more cooperative with the rest of the fic... I loves ya Meach! I'm actually put together a care package for you... but my sister wants to send you something and she's taking her sweet time to finish it! I think it's going to be a late Birthday/Christmas present at this rate... But anywayz.. I hope you like how this fic is so far... And I hope everyone likes it as well. (Been writing shojou style for too long... I'm afraid that I'm losing my touch with JQ.)  
  
Anywayz... Archive away, if you want it. And eventhough this is gonna be TRA timeline (with TRA characters), history will be CJQ. Meaning, Race is still working for Intelligence One to protect Jonny. Is Jessie gonna appear? Well... as Hikaru Utada said... sings "Time will tell..."  
  
Ja!  
  
Ina-chan 


	2. File01

Disclaimer: Jonny Quest and all its characters are the creation of Doug Wildey and the properties of Hanna-Barbera. Everything else in this fanfic are figments of my imagination. Any similarities to name, places, yada yada yada are simply examples of the world's many coincidental mysteries  
  
December 22, 2003  
  
Inasanity Productions proudly presents:  
  
"037"  
  
File 01  
  
by Ina-chan  
  
*****  
  
  
  
It almost seemed as if steam was rising from the ground as the hot afternoon sun continued its burning gaze on Calcuttan streets. From the corner of his eye, Hadji caught his brother peering out of the cafe window, watching the people busily bustling about the crowded streetsoutside. They were no strangers to this place. In was a city that the Quests held close to their hearts. After all, it was here where Jonny gained a brother and Hadji gained a family. His own search for the answers regarding his past began in this city as well. So it was quite understandable why two boys were idly waiting in the hotel cafe under the sweltering Calcuttan summer heat while waiting for Dr. Quest to finish with his engagement for the day, instead of staying with more comfortable lodgings with Hadji's biological family in Bangalore. Then again, they were due to go there as soon as they meet up with Dr. Quest later in the evening. So until then, Race and the boys were free to explore Calcutta's urban jungle.  
  
By their standards, this trip seems almost like a vacation. Dr. Quest was invited to speak at a physics conference at the University of Calcutta. And so far, nothing happened that would turn this particular trip into anything but that. Hadji frowned as Jonny rested his chin on his knuckles with a bored sigh. He tapped his pencil idly on an open notebook as he continued to people watch through the window. Even with it's bustling streets, there was really nothing to hold his attention. A few minutes ago, there was a young couple who seemed to be in the middle of a lover's spat. A woman, dressed in full traditional black hijab, stood in a corner in the corner selling small trinkets and wares. There were several amusing tourists, wandering around and looking lost.   
  
Reading the other boy's body language, Hadji could tell that his companion was itching to go out for a small adventure just about now. Jonny glanced at him companion from the corner of his eye and Hadji instantly returned his attention on his book with over emphasized concentration. Jonny tapped his pencil even louder and let out a heavy, attention-grabbing sigh.  
  
"Jonny," Hadji began patiently, without lifting his eyes from the pages of his book, "You're supposed to be working on your homework until Race and Pasha comes back for us."  
  
Jonny made a face,"When Dad said we had free time to do anything we wanted until evening, homework wasn't on the top of my list. It's not fair that we end up here instead of out there with Race and Pasha."  
  
"Well maybe if you kept your part of the deal and did your homework BEFORE, then we would be out there instead of in here," Hadji replied unsympathetically  
  
Jonny flinched at his brother's tone,"Are you still mad?"  
  
The older boy finally looked up from his book and gave the blonde youth a sardonic look,"Mad? About what? You mean instead of using this opportunity to visit my hometown, I end up punished with babysitting duties because a certain someone decided to copy MY homework instead of working on his own."  
  
"Well, you said that I could take a look at it," Jonny protested sheepishly  
  
"Jonny," Hadji sighed as he returned his attention to the book in his hands, "If you are going to copy someone else's work, at least have the creativity to make it look like you tried to put some effort in making it look like it was YOU who worked on it."  
  
"Ah the hell with it!" Jonny exclaimed as he got on his feet and closed his notebook with a loud clap.   
  
Hadji looked up at him with another frown as he watched the other boy start to stuff his books into the black knapsack resting on the seat beside him, "What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm bored to death, and none of this analytical geometry crap is sticking in my head. I'm going out for a short walk," Jonny replied with a grin, "Wanna come?"  
  
"We're supposed to stay here and wait for Race," Hadji reminded him  
  
"We'll be back before he comes back. Besides, we're already in trouble anyway," Jonny reasoned as he put several paper bills on the table before slinging his knapsack on one shoulder and starting to head out of the cafe  
  
Hadji sighed, grabbed his own belongings and started after his brother.   
  
"Where you boys going?" A friendly voice inquired just before they reached the door  
  
Hadji looked back and saw one of the cafe servers whom they've gotten acquainted with looking after them, "A walk, Mujeeb. Can you tell Race if he comes back first?"   
  
"Fine. Fine. Don't get into any trouble now!" The elder man called out as he waved at the boys in acknowledgement   
  
"It's too late for that," Hadji mumbled under his breath before uttering a louder "Thanks" at the cafe staff as he quickly jogged out of the shop before Jonny blended with the the crowd outside.   
  
  
  
Jonny put on a cap to shield his face from the afternoon sun before stretching out his arms, "I feel better already! Isn't being out here ten times better than being couped up in there."  
  
"Fifteen minutes," Hadji said firmly as he looked into his watch, "Fifteen minutes then we go back."  
  
"Hadji, don't be such a spoilt sport," Jonny laughed infectiously, "Why don't we find that whatcha thingy that Jessie wanted while we're here. That way, we wouln't have to worry about it later."  
  
Hadji shook his head in disbelief. He knew this tactic all too well. It would normally take a herd of elephants to drag Jonny into doing anything that remotely resembles "shopping". Then again, Jonny has mastered the art of manipulating people into "buying time" since he was ten years old. Despite himself, Hadji couldn't stop the smile that made its way to his lips, "You are something else."  
  
@@@@  
  
"Are you sure that's all that happened, Hadji?"   
  
There was almost a pleading quality in his adoptive father's voice that Hadji couldn't help but feel almost guilty that there was no more information he could offer to give. He chewed on his lower lip as he tried to remember more details about that day two weeks ago... exactly three days before his brother mysteriously disappeared. He bowed his head apologetically, "I'm sorry Dr. Quest. But there's nothing. We walked for a few blocks, looking at random street stalls, then came back to the cafe."  
  
"Did you talk to anyone? Was there anyone who said anything strange or did anything unusual? Did Jonny speak to any particular person?"   
  
Hadji frowned as he wracked his memories, "There was a group of tourists who asked for directions... We talked to a few stall merchants..." His voice trailed as an image suddenly conjured in his mind, "Wait... there was this merchant who tried to sell us some jewelry and told us our fortunes. She was wearing a hijab, so I couldn't see her features. But there was something odd about her."  
  
Dr. Quest leaned forward, "Odd?"  
  
"Maybe it was the way she talked. She spoke in broken English with a thick Urdu accent... but her accent just sounded a little odd. I can't explain it. It was just odd," The boy's frown deepened, "I don't know... to me it sounded like it wasn't real."   
  
The scientist gave the boy an encouraging nod, "What did she say to you?"  
  
"Nothing important. Old proverbs and some things to try to convince us to buy something from her..." Hadji replied quickly, a slight tinge made it's way on the boy's cheeks, before a thoughtful look crossed his features, "Though Jonny's fortune was a little odd. It started with the typical proverb... I think it was something like things not being all that it seemed so one has to search vigilantly for the truth... then she said a something that sounded like a lottery sequence."  
  
Dr. Quest leaned back on his seat and crossed his arms thoughtfully, "Then you went back to the cafe?"  
  
"Race and Pasha got there before us and Race was a little upset that we wandered off without waiting for him," Hadji nodded, as he watched his father's pensive expression, "Do you think that person was there at that time? Whoever it was who took Jonny?"  
  
"I don't know Hadji. I'm willing to look at anything... anything at all that could help us find the answers we're looking for," Dr. Quest replied tiredly as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, "How's he doing?"  
  
"He's talking a bit more," Hadji replied, "Though he still won't say anything about what happened that week when he went missing. It's been strange Dr. Quest... I never imagined seeing Jonny like this. He doesn't laugh, or smile... half of the time when he's awake, it's almost like he's not really here."  
  
The scientist gave his son a reassuring smile, "Everything will be all right. Dr. Bryers said that there's nothing wrong with him physically. They didn't do anything with him other than drug him with some kind of hallucinogenic and sedate him. It's just the left over drugs they used on him that's making him act like this. Once it's completely out of his system, he'll be back to normal."  
  
The boy remained silent, returning the older man's smile with a forced and ackward grin. The expression on his eyes obviously showed that he was completely unconvinced by his father's words. Once again, the wave of guilty "whys and what ifs" threatened to overwhelm him. He knew there was something odd about Jonny's behaviour that day his brother disappeared. Why did he decide to grow a 'don't let Jonny have his way again' backbone at that particular day? What if he tagged along with the his brother like he always did? Would it change anything? They always go off to adventures and get into trouble together... but on each and every one of those moments, they always came back home safely together. Would things have been different if he went along? Why did they have that stupid argument the night before? What if he paid more attention to whatever it was that Jonny was trying to tell him? Would he have found out exactly what it was this big mystery that Jonny was trying to solve?  
  
"Jonny's been through a lot worse things," Dr. Quest's voice interrupted his thoughts, "We'll get through this one as well. Jonny will come back to us."   
  
The older man's tone seemed to hold a deeper meaning, that Hadji couldn't help but feel somewhat reassured by his father's words. That was until the door suddenly opened to reveal Race's grim expression. A disturbing frantic aura surrounding him. Suddenly, Hadji felt as if the air in the room became a little chilly.  
  
"Dr. Quest," Race stated calmly, "I think you should come and see this."  
  
The scientist literally flew out of the room with Hadji close at the two older men's heels. His heart started to pound as his brother's bedroom door came in sight. He held his breath as Race opened the door. Nothing could have prepared him from the sight that greeted them.   
  
Paper with numerical scribbles, sketches, and diagrams littered and almost covered the entire floor. Jonny was on the side opposite to them, still in his pj's, oblivious to his surprised family, as he continued to scribble on the already half-filled wall. Hadji looked up at Dr. Quest, who was staring at the wall, completely white-faced.   
  
Almost fearfully, the scientist crossed the room and stood behind the boy, "Son... what are you doing?"  
  
"Homework," Jonny replied, not even looking up from his work  
  
"It's okay Jonny," Benton began, "You don't have to do homework now. Just go back to bed and rest, okay?"  
  
The boy shook his head, his eyes glued to the numbers and characters he was etching on the wall, "I have to finish this."  
  
Dr. Quest reached out to stop the boy's hand, and gently wrenched the pen from the boy's grasp. As if a spell was broken, only then did Jonny peel his eyes from the wall to look at his father, "It's okay Jonny," Dr. Quest repeated again, "You can finish this later. Come and rest first."  
  
"Won't you get in trouble if I stop?" Jonny whispered, a tinge of fear clearly evident in his voice  
  
Benton shook his head and smiled, "You need to rest."   
  
With that he guided the unressisting boy to bed and tucked him in. Almost instantly, Jonny's eyes closed and the boy fell into a deep sleep. An uncomfortable silence descended in the room as Hadji watched his father silently agonize over his brother's puzzling behaviour. Unable to bear the scene anymore, the dark-haired boy averted his eyes and focused on a piece of paper near his foot. Frowning, he bent down to pick it up to take a better look. Confusion instantly replaced the furrow on his face, as the scribbles on the piece of paper registered in his mind. Hadji immediately glanced inquiringly at Race, but automatically held back as he realized that the older man was staring at the vandalized wall with the same shocked reaction as the scientist, "Race?"  
  
"Help me get supper ready," Race simply stated in a tone that sounded more like a command than a request as he gently, but firmly, held Hadji by the shoulder and started to guide the boy out of the room   
  
Hadji had no choice but to let his teacher push him out. His hand unwittingly crumpling the piece of paper it held as it formed into a clenched fist after taking one last glance at the image of Dr. Quest's distraught form watching over Jonny. Blinking the tears threatening to form in his eyes, Hadji gave Race a determined glare, as the older man closed the door behind them, "Race."  
  
"Not now Hadji," The man's tone clearly stating that any discussion about the subject matter was closed.  
  
"Race!" Hadji protested stubbornly as he held out the piece of paper in his hand, "THIS is NOT Analytic Geometry."  
  
"I know," Race replied blandly as he started to make his way down the hallway towards the kitchen  
  
The boy instantly sprang after the man and tried to keep up with his teacher's long brisk strides, "Race, what's is this? What's going on?"  
  
"Not now, Hadji," was the older man's simple answer, "Don't choose to make things even more complicated than they are."  
  
The boy stopped on his tracks and reeled back, stung by the older man's words. It was as if Race had physically slapped him on the face. Though the older man didn't say the words aloud, Hadji heard it in his tone. He heard it many times before. It was the definite "go" signal for Jonny to lead themselves into trouble.   
  
'You boys have no business sticking your nose into things that you shouldn't get involved with.'  
  
"The last time I checked, I was still a part of this family, Race. It's not a matter of choice," Hadji called out after the man, "Anything that involves my family automatically involves me."   
  
The man stopped then turned to face the boy, before crossing his arms impassively, "Well the last time I checked, I believed that you were old enough to understand that there was a time and place for everything. Right now, it's time to get supper ready. So at this moment, you really only have two choices. You will either come to help me, or you won't. Have I made myself clear?"  
  
"Yes sir," Hadji whispered almost inaudibly, his shoulders slumping. Race was not going to budge. Not this time.   
  
This time, Hadji didn't try to stop the tears of frustration from spilling down his face. The stern look on the older man's face softened at the sight of the boy's admittance of defeat. Race retraced his steps and reached out to give the boy a reassuring pat on the shoulder. But Hadji shrank away, spun on his heels, and strode angrily towards the sanctity of his room... leaving the man to stand alone in the corridor.   
  
"Damn it," Race muttered under his breath before turning around to walk at the opposite direction  
  
  
  
Author's Squawk:  
  
Man! The muses are working overtime tonight! ^_^. Well, I know people are confused... I'm not going on a linear narrative here. I'm a sadist at heart so as you can tell, I ain't gonna make things easy by telling the story straight out. To answer people's inquiries... No, this is not a continuation of an old fanfic. This is an entirely new fanfic... which is obviously alternate universe... BUT heavily under the strong influence of the "Quest File 037" idea (hopefully I pull it off). Think of it as an alternate "darker" interpretation for the real reason for the existence of "File 037".   
  
OKAY! I know the next question... So here's a quick CJQ history. What exactly is "File 037"? According to the Classic Jonny Quest series, "File 037" is the Intelligence One "record" of the Quest Family. Dr. Benton C. Quest is a prominent world reknowned scientist who lost his wife through implied foul play caused by a "third party" and Race T. Bannon, Intelligence One Agent, was assigned to protect Dr. Quest's son, Jonathan. Race was supposed to be Jonny's tutor, companion, and all around "watchdog" to ensure that the boy does not fall into the hands of a "third party" that may compromise Dr. Quest's value to science. Of course, we all know that Race don't usually end up doing his job, sometimes for reasons that are not his own fault (those damn kids are so unpredictable...), but that's an entirely different story altogether.   
  
And that has been a quickie CJQ education moment, brought to you by the letter "I". As in "I hope I can write down chapter 3, which is already finished inside my head, before I run out of steam."  
  
BTW, my Microsoft Word was corrupted and I am too lazy to re-install. So right now, I'm using thesaurus-less, spell check-less, and grammar check-less WordPad. So if there are any Good Samaritans who happen to notice any grammar or spelling mistakes that I may have missed, please let me know. Comments, criticisms, and divine offerings, prayers and general praise for my muses are welcome. ^_^.  
  
And listen to my Internet Radio Show, dammit! shameless plug ----- J-MIX, www.mediatalks.com, Mondays 5:00 - 6:30 PM E.S.T. ----- It's Christmas theme this week at J-MIX... and the Japanese cast of Sailor Moon, Digimon Adventures Zero Two, and CCS are singing Christmas carols in my head! ARGH! MAKE THEM STOP!  
  
Ja!  
  
Ina-chan 


	3. File02

_**Disclaimer**: Jonny Quest and all its characters are the creation of Doug Wildey and the properties of Hanna-Barbera. Everything else in this fanfic are figments of my imagination. Any similarities to name, places, yada yada yada are simply examples of the world's many coincidental mysteries_

August 8, 2004

Inasanity Productions proudly presents:

"037"

File 02

by Ina-chan

It was a miserable day followed by an equally miserable night. After a weeklong torture by the stifling heat and humidity, the summer rain was usually a welcome relief. That is, if it didn't suddenly become a full-blown typhoon in the middle of the night.

_ As the saying goes, when it rains... _

Nonetheless, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony beeped insistently against the howling of the wind outside her rattling shutters. For the umpteenth time, the girl groaned from underneath her covers. She knew exactly who it was... it was after all the 15th time it rang the past 6 hours. Seven of them were after as she was already in bed. She glared at the phone as the ring tone finished the last three bars before her voice mail picked up.

She managed to ignore the last four prior to this one... It would ring persistently until her voice mail picked up... then stop. But the damned ringing would only start again just as she was drifting in that realm between consciousness and sleep. It was as if the caller had telepathy and knew that perfect moment. She had half the mind of turning her telephone off completely, but for some strange reason, her instinct was telling her to keep it on.

So when her cell phone rang once again for the hundredth time, she finally gave in to her anger, "**WHAT!?!?!?"**

"Jeez... there's no need to bite my head off," The other voice on the line replied with a hint of amusement

"Jonathan... it's three AM on this side of the world. You've been calling me almost every hour or so since 9 yesterday morning. There's a storm outside, a hole in my ceiling, it's wet, and I'm completely miserable. I already know that you and Hadji are enjoying the sun there in India... but unlike you guys, I'm actually working. I have to be up in two hours rain or shine, and if I end up destroying a priceless piece of history because you kept me awake all night, not only will I not forgive you, but you will face my mother's wrath as well."

It wasn't really an unusual arrangement that summer. She usually spends a good portion of that season with her mother, the rest with her father. Though typically, it would be scheduled in a way that she would actually be spending the holidays with her father and the Quests. Especially a non-working holiday in India with Hadji's biological family to boot! But this summer was, in a way, atypical.

An employment opportunity at her mother's new archeological site project was too much to pass. Instead of the usual Mama's girl tagging along like a long "bring your child to work day", she would actually be an official member of her mother's team. Though her status was really just that of an "assistant", she's already learned so much from working with her mother that no formal academic setting can teach her.

"You're actually going on a date with that Grayson guy, aren't you?"

Of course, socializing with people close to her age, other than Jonny and Hadji was also a big plus. As much as she loved her father, and she enjoyed being with the Quests, there was just so much of their almost recluse lifestyle that she could take. The students working for her mother this year were actually competent in the field and friendly as an added bonus. As much as she didn't want to admit it, one of them was partly the reason why Jonny's intrusive phone calls throughout the day irked her beyond reason. In a lot of ways, her new friend, Grayson Reeve, reminded her of Dr. Quest... though he has a bit of a weird fixation with matters relating to scientific conspiracies.

Nonetheless, her right eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the boy's implication, "It's not a date. It's work. And if you don't have anything important to say at all, can you please just let me sleep?"

"Some friend you are, abandoning your best friend at his time of need."

"There are limits to friendship... specially when one so-called friend is causing serious sleep deprivation," Jessie replied flatly before sighing in defeat and taking a more serious tone, "Jonny, I don't know what's going on, but I know this is more than your usual over-the-top antics to annoy me. If something's in your mind, just say it."

A flash of lightning and the rumble of thunder overpowered the voice on the other line... that is if he answered her question at all.

"Jonny? Are you still there?"

"Yeah. Sounds like a bad storm on your side."

"Look, it's not that I'm brushing you off. But the storm isn't letting up and the phone transmission can go off any moment. If you do want to say something, you better say it now."

"I just wanted to hear your voice."

In spite of herself, the girl raised an eyebrow at her conversation partner's uncharacteristic tone. When he said that, there was a certain quality in his voice that raised the red flags at the back of her mind. Finality... determination... resignation... She knew that there was something that he was not saying... that is... there's something that he's trying to say but he's not saying. She sat up in bed and cradled the phone in her hands, all thoughts of sleep completely driven away, "Jonny? What's going on?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to hear a friendly voice for a change."

She frowned. There was something definitely not right in the picture. The last time her friend acted like this was during a really bad disagreement with their fathers. She only witnessed it once, but it really was no secret. Despite whatever Jonny says against Doctor Quest as any other teenager would about their fathers, his father was the sun and moon to him. "If it's something you can't tell me, I'm sure Hadji would..."

"Hadji and I are not in speaking terms right now," Jonny interrupted suddenly

The girl's eyes widened in surprise, an argument with Dr. Quest was expected... but a serious spat with Hadji wherein they would stop speaking to each other... that's almost a supernatural phenomena. She's been an only child all her life, so would probably never understand the close relationship between two siblings. While Jonny and Hadji may not be related by blood, they were as close and inseparable as any real brothers would ever be. The first time she met them, she was actually a little freaked out to see how synchronized the boys were with each other. It was as if they were two opposite sides of one person.

While they had their own share of disputes, she has never seen her two best friends get into a serious fight. The normal routine would be... Jonny would plan to do something idiotic, Hadji would try berating him to keep him from doing it, but they would do that idiotic thing together in the end anyway. On those rare scenarios where Hadji actually wins the argument, Jonny would simply sulk in a corner for a few minutes... then at most, an hour later, they would be together again, acting as if nothing happened.

"Jonny, what is it?"

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to find the truth, right Jessie? No matter how painful, or stupid, or horrible the truth can be. There's nothing wrong with searching for that, right?"

"No, of course not," Jessie replied, "But if it's really painful or horrible as you think it will be, you have to make sure that you will be prepared to face the consequences of knowing that truth."

The boy let out a small laugh, "That's exactly what Hadji said."

"Jonny, are you in trouble?"

"She said that once the lid is lifted from the box, all the monsters will escape and everything will change."

Jessie couldn't help but frown again, "She?"

"Jess, if I end up doing something really horrible or stupid... you won't stop being my friend, right?"

There was almost a hint of desperation his voice that the girl instinctively tightened her grip on the telephone, as if doing so will keep a physical hold on him as well, "Jonny, what are you..."

"Right?"

The girl nodded, "Yes."

"Thank you."

"Jonny!"

But the only reply she got was the silence of a dead line. After that last phone call, Jonny never called again. She tried to call him back, only to be rewarded by that annoying temporarily out of service recording. The storm only continued to get worse and prevented her from contacting the other members of her family as well.

In the end, she didn't sleep at all. Concern. Fear. Annoyance. Desperation. Emotions shot through her from every direction. A nagging sensation of guilt and inexplicable anxiety gnawed at her entire being.

_ ...and it rains..._

The answer to her ominous feeling came in the form of a phone call eighteen hours later, when her father called her to let her know that Jonny was missing. No... not just "missing". Jonny disappeared without a trace. There was no ransom note, no witnesses, not even a single lead was sniffed out. Despite all their family connections, to find out where he could have gone, or who could have taken them... all their efforts were rewarded with nothing.

Even more strange was the fact that despite his disappearance, the whole situation was kept secret from the world outside their immediate family circle. Normally, with something happening like this to a high profile figure like Dr. Quest, the press would be circling around them like vultures.

For two whole weeks, it was as if Jonathan Quest never even existed.

Looking back at the situation, she couldn't help feeling hurt that she was somewhat treated like she was not part of her other family's world as well. If it weren't for her father's or Hadji's brief phone calls, she too would also be kept completely in the dark.

She wanted to go to them, but for she was "advised" not to do so. She would have gone by herself, if she knew exactly where they were. When Jonny disappeared, it was almost as if her family was put inside an impenetrable protective shell. She knew first hand, how efficient Intelligence One is. Though she was never told, she knew based on how her father or Hadji talked to her on the phone, that their conversations were always monitored.

And for a brief instant, she finally understood her mother's ambivalent feelings towards the world her father lived in.

Just like how he disappeared, Jonny's reappearance was just as mysterious. Two weeks worth of worrying and panicking ended with a simple phone call from a hospital where a young John Doe suddenly showed up in the emergency unit. While he appeared to be physically unharmed, he was heavily drugged and sedated. She didn't know the exact details, but from what she heard, it was some kind of hallucinogenic or at least a derivative of it. It was definitely not something that you can just pick up in the streets, that's why it raised the red flags in Intelligence One.

It was one of the old school drugs known to be used for brainwashing.

Whoever it was who took Jonny wanted him to be found. More important than that, they wanted us to know what they did.

She hasn't had the chance to see her best friend since he came back. But one didn't need to be a genius to know how he was doing based on how her father was acting when she came home for a visit. She expected Dr. Quest to be keeping himself busy somewhere. But the fact that even Hadji was no where in sight when she arrived bothered her, "Where's everyone?"

"Jonny's resting in his room right now, so Dr. Quest must be in his lab, working on one of his smaller projects," Her father replied, "You know how he is when he's immersed in work. I'm sure I'll be able to lure him out of there when I tell him you're home. He'll be more than delighted to hear all about the things you found at the site."

"Where's Hadji?"

"As soon as you're all freshened up, we'll have a father-daughter night out. How does that sound?"

She couldn't help frowning with worry at her father's answer to avoid her question her question, "I was actually hoping that we would stay at home and have a nice family dinner with everyone. It's been a month after all, and I'm only staying for the weekend before I have to go back. I kinda miss it."

For a moment, Race gave his daughter an uncertain look before breaking into a small smile, "I suppose a little taste of normalcy is what everyone needs right now. I'll whip up something, though I think you'll do a better job of gathering the crew together."

"Dad?" That stab of worry slowly grew into full blown anxiety

"It's nothing kiddo, things has been tense around here lately, that's all," Race replied with a pregnant sigh

_ ...and rains..._

The girl nodded and chewed her lower lip upon hearing her father's defeated tone. She knew very well what her father was thinking, even though her father didn't say it out loud. She was all too familiar with that tone of his. He heard it almost all the time prior to her parents' divorce. Specifically when what he was referring to was directly related to explaining things about what was going on with him and her mother... when it became all too clear that her father lost her mother's trust.

Once again, it doesn't really take a genius to figure it out. What happened was not supposed to happen. Her father's presence in the Quest family was to make sure of that.

"I think I'll go see Hadji first. Then if Jonny's up, we'll visit him together," Jessie stated cheerfully as she hastened her steps to get to her room, "Is Hadji in his room?"

"Yeah," Race replied before heading the opposite direction to the kitchen, "Don't let him kick you out."

She found him in his room, sitting by his desk, his back to the door, completely immersed with his laptop. Once again, a worried line furrowed on his forehead. It was obvious that the situation had taken its toll on Hadji as well. While Hadji's room was still a far cry neater than how she remembered Jonny's room was, the unmade bed, the faint smell of coffee, the presence of untouched food on the chair by his doorway, and his overall disheveled appearance as he hunched... turbanless... in front of his computer. It was all definitely way out of character.

"Hey," Jessie called out as she knocked on the half-open door

The older boy instantly pulled down his laptop screen, and swiveled his chair around to face her. His eyes widened in surprise before breaking into a tired smile, "Hey yourself. When did you arrive?"

"Just now," She replied as she let herself in the room and plopped down on his bed across from where he's seated, "Though I was a little disappointed that the welcoming party I was expecting didn't show up as expected."

"I'm sorry," Hadji replied, looking genuinely apologetic, "I meant to be the first one out there to greet you, but I lost track of time."

"What are you working on, anyway?" Jessie asked, eyeing the laptop curiously

"Just some research," was the boy's casual reply as he unconsciously pushed the lap top further in, as if making sure that the machine was out of anyone else's reach

"Research?" The girl raised an eyebrow as she looked at her best friend in mock suspicion, "Care to fill me in? Maybe I could help."

Hadji shook his head, "It's nothing. It's just a little personal thing to keep me busy."

Jessie studied her friend for a few moments, and all at once realized that there was no way to push through his guard the direct way. So she put on a mischievous grin and attacked at a different angle, "Hadj... it's not porn, is it?"

The older boy turned beet red, choked and almost fell off his chair, "WHAT!?! NO!!! NO!!!"

The girl erupted in a peal of laughter, pleased with getting the reaction she wanted, "I wish I had a video camera right now. The expression on your face is classic."

Despite of himself, Hadji started to laugh with her. For just a brief moment, she saw her best friend's old self break through that 'I'm-carrying-the-weight-of-the-world-on-my-shoulders' mask that Hadji was wearing earlier. At least, for just a brief moment, she was satisfied.

"Hey, Hadj... I know I'm not Jonny, but you can trust me with stuff that's bothering you," Jessie stated in a more serious tone, as soon as they both calmed down, "Though... to be quite honest, I don't know how much help I would be. But I'll try my best."

It was Hadji's turn to look at her with a worried frown, "What happened?"

"That night... Jonny called me. I think he was trying to tell me something, but it seemed like I didn't listen hard enough," Jessie replied playing with the edge of Hadji's blankets, before lifting her face to look up at her best friend, "I just... don't want to make the same mistake again... you know."

An uncomfortable silence descended in the room as she watched her friend's reaction. But Hadji turned away, and stared at the laptop on his desk, as if falling into deep thought. The girl sighed in defeat, realizing that things have now gone on a stand still. She pushed herself off her seat and started to make her way out of the room, "Well, I think I'll go peek and see how Jonny is doing, then I'll be down to see if I can help Dad with dinner. Don't you dare be a no-show on my homecoming dinner as well, okay?"

"Jessie," Hadji called out before she could step out of the door. She turned back and saw him still facing his closed laptop, "If I do something really foolish and horrible, will you forgive me?"

Jessie blinked as a strong sense of déjà vu washed over her. All the fear and anxiety she's managed to hold back until this time, finally hit her with full force. Without another word, she rushed back to her best friend and clung to him tightly, as if she was afraid that he would suddenly slip away. Then gasped out between sobs, "Don't you ever... **EVER**... say that again. **EVER**!"

"Jessie?" The boy instinctively lightly wrapped his arms around her in surprise, "What is it?"

"It's bad luck... **BAD LUCK**..." she sobbed uncontrollably

"Okay," Hadji whispered gently, realizing what she was trying to say. He closed his eyes and tightened her hold on her, "I'm glad you're home, Jessie."

The girl could only bawl her eyes out in reply.

She was so preoccupied that she didn't even notice it in her jacket pocket until she was unpacking her things back at her mother's after her weekend off. Once again, that familiar nagging and anxious feeling came back to her as she stared at the sealed envelope that had Hadji's neat handwriting.

'Open and read after you leave the house.'

_ ...when it rains, it pours._

Author's Squawk:

Yes. I've decided to add Jessie. I also just realized that I never established exactly where the Quests are staying now. So just in case you're wondering, I'm actually following the S2 TRA timeline. This is after S2 TRA, the Maine mansion is no more, and the Quest clan has moved back to Palm Key... which actually suits my storyline better, since the situation calls for Benton retreating back into isolation to protect his little boy.

Heh-heh... I know it was forever since I last wrote the chapter prior to this. But if the muses don't speak to me, the words just won't flow no matter how hard I try! I do plan to finish this story. And yes, I'm actually in the middle of re-writing another epic fic of mine. I tried getting back into the groove of continuing it, but found that I couldn't find my rhythm anymore.

BTW, I finally got around to watching "RanXephon". I stayed away from it because the first impression I got from it was that it was another EVANGELION wanna-be (BTW, has anyone heard anything about the live action EVA movie? I'm so out of touch... until now, I'm trying to get my hands on FF7's "Advent Children" and still can't find heads or tails of it!). Anywayz, "RanXephon" actually inspired me to get back into writing this particular fic. It's not the same story, but it's definitely the same "feel" as to the direction I want this fic to go to. Though what convinced me to watch the anime was having a sneak peek at the manga version (which I actually found more interesting than the anime) through them preview compilations.

This chapter was kinda slower than I originally intended though... but I hope I got my point across. .

As usual, comments, criticisms, flames to 

Ja!  
Ina-chan


End file.
